Week 10

No - I haven't missed a week, just haven't done it yet. Well, technically I did but really wasn't happy with it so it is set aside while I try and decide if it is worth 'rescue'.

In the meantime - I love this weeks challenge. 'Flat' is what Natalie wanted so, flat is what I have given. No bling, no bows/buckles/brads - no pads, silicon gel or buttons! sounded quite easy and once I decided where to go it was and I really enjoyed making this one. I started with the sentiment which is on the card I got with my Xyron runner - I started with it because this is the second attempt at this topper after the first one ended in the bin when the sentiment didn't print properly! The stamp is Kanban and from the QVC TSV I was lucky enough to get last year - it is a gorgeous collection of everyday stamps. I used Ranger distress inks in four colours and randomly stamped the image. Then I stamped the 'rabbits' with archival ink. I edged it with Old Paper distress ink and mounted it on a scrap of orange cardstock which I punched down one edge. Keeping it flat I added a fine organza ribbon and coloured peel offs black to go along the edge of the punched border. I finally mounted it all on Kraft card leaving the border overhanging one edge. This is a small but beautiful card!

I may have to make another for this week - I love the prompt!

52 Card Challenge - Week 8

No matter when I take a picture of this one, it still doesn't do it justice - the inking on the tag is beautiful irl! The PP was free on a magazine and the whole pad is simply gorgeous! A very busy card with lots going on from edge distressing to fine thread barely visible - the rosette was time consuming but worth it IMO.

52 card challenge

Behind again!!!! gah, will I ever keep up - doubt it! These are from Week 7's prompt  pastel colours.

I wasn't sure of these to start with and had little bits of each one done at different stages but once I finished them all I love them! These are cute little cards that will come in handy when you just need a card!

I started with a 12 x 12 in blue and decided to use it all up and made 3 cards. I'm stash busting this year and they are all inkeeping with this - the acetate is one I've had stamped for a few months in my handmade box, the flower is some circles I cut from scraps a while back as a way of using them onlyIi never have! the ribbon is what dh cut from the bandage he wrapped round my thumb on Saturday after I sliced it with my craft knife. oh and the butterfly decal is from a set of laptop stickers I thought might be useful one day. the stamps are mainly from a large set I got a while back which included a box full of die cut matts and I used one of these on the birdie one. Most of the stamps are Kanban.

Oh, can I also point out, Mrs Thrift here salvaged the bandage from the bin, they were about to be thrown as they don't comply with health and safety as they are past the use by date - bonkers!!!!

This is just too cute!!!!!!

I was taking Adam to my local craft group and needed something for him to be entertained with and found this fab Captain Jack image by Octopode and since he is Adams current hero it was perfect. Adam loved being allowed to colour his copy with free range of the ProMarkers! He also managed to help me choose new ones to add to the collection :o

This is for a friend who loves films, hence the film strip. The wax seal was once a crayola crayon gathering dust in Adams play room. I loved making the backing for this - lots of Dylusions (really hoping the old collection of colours gets transferred to Ranger asap as I just couldn't stretch to them before they disappeared.

This is also the first real image I have coloured in and I'm quite proud of it!

Oh, I almost forgot the thrifty bits. The craft card is a left over from another project i.e. the Black Pearl ship card, the script matt is one I played at a long while back and was lonely in my box of handmade paper/card and the coin and chain were donated to me from a friend who no longer wanted her necklace - lucky me!

Love is in the air!!!!

This is my Week 5 card for UKScrappers 52 card challenge. The prompt was simply 'aperture'! I was playing making an acetate backing paper with alcohol inks and pearl glue. I hand drew the hearts in the glue then added the inks - I can't remember the ink names but there is a pale pink (maybe pink sherbet), cranberry (I think) and green lettuce (again I think). Then I panicked a bit when I realised next Tuesday was valentines and I ought to make something for Mark. Looked at the cards I needed to make for the challenge, I'm still behind, and chose wk 5. I hand drew the heart and cut it out (rather smug and a little more than pleased with it!) then panicked again with where this was going. Looked at stamping and settled on masking. I had cut out flowers with the remaining acetate but a: the punch DID not like that, I had to put it between post its, b: looked yuk when I put them on. So I quickly tore a spiral rose and inked it to match the inks on and around the card and found the die cut leaf in my now nicely sorted die cuts!

Dapper - what!

This was inspired by a sample card in my local craft shop. I love these new papers from Docrafts/Papermania. I had to make a card for a friends son that I would be putting money in and thought I could adapt this card to include the money (top pocket)!

Sooo pretty!

I found a few makes from January on an SD card I had to recover recently! Forgot I'd made these. This is one made from an inking session! I love this blue, Dylusions inks then I used the bleaching effect and added some black stamped butterflies. The 'just a note' was in the £1 bin at Hobby craft - I love it!!!!

Again the same stamp as above but a different technique! I masked the sentiment before stamping the image. Sadly this card was a 'need' rather than a play! I find it quite calming to look at.

Now I love this!!!!!! This is my take on the massive craze in Typography! Don't ask the languages, I've no idea! Very coffee inspired. It took an age to make this in Serif but I had to export it since for some reason I can't get Serif to print!

I found my mojo!

This is an entry for the UKScrappers 52 card challenge. Promp for this was a sketch. This is growing on me the more I look at it. Again it fulfils my thrift challenge as the paper and card are all from my scrap bin - even the white i used to stamp on. The ribbon is from a jumper and the birdhouse stamp was FREE so you can't really get much thriftier than that - Oh, the 'just for you' stamp was new but I bought it in the Hobbycraft January sale for £1 so it was thrifty!

My Own Challenge(s)

I set this challenge for my crafty friends. The prompts were 1) Use something you have had in your stash for a long time and never used, 2) bunting 3) circles. This paper is off, I think, Scrapbook Factory's disc and I printed it off a lifetime ago to use and never did, when I've been sorting my scrap paper out recently I found it and still find it so beautiful. Along with the idea of trying oh so hard to use up stash I've had for an age, I'm also trying to make cards that have a purpose - I have such a collection sitting sad and lonely that I don't want to add to it, so this will find it's way to my friends on their Anniversary! I have to say, after last nights update and this one, I'm surprised to find just how much crafting I have achieved this year given I didn't think I'd done very much at all!

Savvy!

This is my darling at the moment! The one you just can't stop looking at - you all know what I mean! To some it may not look much, to some you may wonder what I see in it but to me it is my baby! It was initially an idea I had for the 52 card challenge on UKS where the promp was bunting/pennants/flags and I drew a sketch of a boat. Adam got the Pirates of the Caribbean 'Black Pearl' for Christmas and I thought it would be cool to be different - no tea party bunting here, no sir!!!! Then I kind of got carried away and set to making it as close to the Black Pearl as I could with my limited or should I say, complete lack of artistic talent! Oh, don't get me wrong, I can glue and stick and sometimes make pretty papers with ink, but art, nope! I can't draw, paint or colour in. But I did manage to draw this boat, cut it out, work out just how the sails needed to be drawn and cut out and although the Jolly Roger isn't perfect, I think I did a fairly good job for an amateur! Adam is as blown away with it as I am - only problem is a: his birthday isn't until August, b: he's seen it!

This is also a 2012 thrift item as all card stock was from my scrap (even the 8 x8 was the other half to one chopped up for tags), the cannons are very old peel-offs and the sentiment I don't even remember getting but they have been in a folder for a very long time!

I may have a few of these to do

Given there is currently around 4 inches of snow just landed today and last year we were convinced we had been abducted by aliens and moved to Siberia, there are just one or two photos of child and hound playing in the snow in the Lillipad family albums! These photos are just a small amount from 2009 and one of the downsides to scrapping is not being able to use them all - well, you could if you locked all the doors, unplugged the phone, gave up eating and didn't sleep I suppose!

I love the photo of Cherie pulling the branches of a tree, she really is trying to get it to play with! Snowballed out, only so many 'magic disappearing balls' will keep her entertained before she's in search of new fun!

I do have another photo from this collection I'd like to scrap so this may have to become a double layout!

Oh, one of my missions for 2012 was to use old stash to make some room for new, which in turn helps pennies wise as I can't spend until I have the room to house. Well, the trees and journo scrap were from my Christmas box I keep adding to and never using and the bling flakes were removed from Christmas crackers a few years back - way too pretty to bin!!!! I really could do with a tag for 2012 thrift.

Bad photography here as I was just about to post this when I realised I'd not take a photo of it. I love love love the colour combination of the background on this. I also love the little hidden pocket on the front. I do not 'love' the image on the front though. I am actually happy with the female form and the dress but I do not like the wings - whether this is the fact I think I'm the only crafter that is sooooo ready for the 'wing' obsession to be over or my bad promarker work I can't tell you - probably both. Why did I buy the stamp if I hate the wings? because when you look at a rubber stamp that has no packaging, its not always easy to make out the actual image!
This was sent to a crafty friend to 'gift' a stamp I got for her that I thought she would love as she is a huge Sherlock fan!

Sometimes the ideas and reality don't work!

This was for the 52 card challenge on UK Scrappers where the prompt was primary and journal spot with a handmade embellishment. Well, I got all 3 but I hate it! I can't even see how I could improve it.
I'm not even sure why I am sharing this here, let it be known I am not precious enough to not admit my crappiness! Now, should I enter it or not?????? Erugh, I seriously hate it!

Inky Fingers

Not quite sure what made me rush home from work, feed my child and get out the newspaper and ink and set to crafting but I 'had' to make this card! I bought the stamp in a small art shop in town where they were selling off pre-loved stamps. Because of this I have no idea who's it is.

Playing with Digi kits

Well, when these digi kits came free in a mag I decided to have a play. I am not an expert with digi and have to fumble my way around the software which usually results in me deleting everything. I've only ever managed to produce things in rough in Scrapbook factory. These serif digi kits were just so lovely though and I wanted to do a layout for Xmas 2009 since 2011 was approaching with speed and I was behind. The 12 x 12 papers I used for all my Christmas cards was such a perfect choice when I went 'live' with this layout and below is the result! the main part I'm not loving is the sequin waste green mask - a little too solid! The rest I think is pretty good. Now I just need 2010 and 2011 scrapping and that is one album up to date!

Last card of 2011

I did this one for my sister in law. She is a keen sewer so I thought she would appreciate this.

I love the little things about this one, the fact the PP has stitching and the buttons match it so well - fluke! I love the ornateness of the sewing machine and especially the 'happy birthday'. I've owned the Dymo tape machine for over 20 years and never used it, I have boxes of red/blue/green/yellow tapes for it too so I can see me using it alot in 2012.

Busy Boy!!!

My little man was soooooo busy making these for his friends. I die cut the circles and the hats and he did the rest - including colouring the hats as they were cut on white card stock. He did attempt to use glitter for the buttons but it was taking so long he reverted to pen. I love how each one is individual and has a different expression. We still have the 'sad snowman' though, I just couldn't let him send that out.

Photo heavy

I have just looked and have far too many uploads to do individual posts so I'm going to 'spam' my own blog :o

Here goes!!!!!

I made both these boxes to showcase them really but the 40th sold before anyone really got to see it! Which was good of course!

I've been wanting to make a card using patchwork for a while and I bagged two bargains from Everycraftsapound in the papers and the inch punch (the papers may well have been less than a £1). I love the sickly sweet colours on this.

Another commision. My remit was that the recipient likes horses and I knew just the source for this pretty necklace. A card that is a gift - perfect!

I really really love making these boxes. Since i bought a file for my Robo - sorry Silo - nah, he'll always be my Robo - to cut them I can make them easily when I want, no measuring! I really love the news stories in the generation ones too.

I think I made about 15 of these little note books. I love the ones above this text but then again, I really love the October Afternoon typewriter. I had stamping issues until I asked Sue at our Craft n Chat group who suggested stamping on a mouse mat. Lifesaver!

I love these jars. I love the concept and really really should make a journal with one myself.

 
These were an idea I found on the internet. I couldn't find a verse to go that was more UK than USA so I made one up - I quite like it, I'm no threat to the poets of the world though!

Adam has been a busy boy lately too, this is his first 'sale'! I gave him a Kanban kit I no longer loved and he has made amazing cards from it. He also sold a few at the Fayre - more cards than I did!

Here he is working very hard at making Christmas cards. We could be an '& son' in 15 years time :o)

This pic was just sooooo adorable I had to include it. I'm thining of getting it put on a canvas!

These little jars were my contribution to the Friends of School committee. They then filled them with sweets to sell. I bought one for my niece and have one for Adam put away for Christmas - although he knows we have it! I love the images off the Serif CD-rom! And it was a freebie, bonus!

My lovely niece was 11 on 11.11.11 so I wanted to make something to celebrate how rare this is. I used only photos from this year. Got to do patchwork again too!

this is my chaotic stall at the school. I was in Adam's classroom which was lovely if a little distracting!

When we went to my sisters for my nieces birthday, she informed me I'd promised to make her a cake again this year - guess who broke her promise and forgot? Luckily I got a chance to make it up to her when they came over the weekend after! She loves Club Penguin and has a Puffle she takes to bed - she'd kill me if she reads this!

And finally these are the start of this years Chrismas cards. I only have 60 to make :o    Yup, 60, so, I could make 10 of each design or carry on playing with the gorgeous stamps and papers some more. The papers were another bargain from Everycraftsapound although they were a little more, and I bought 2 packs since they are sooooooo lush!

And breath.............